SUNRISE, FL--(MARKET WIRE)--Feb 11, 2009 -- Bolton Medical announced today that they've reached the halfway point in the U.S. clinical trial for the RELAY® Thoracic Stent-Graft System. The trial studies the use of the RELAY Thoracic Stent-Graft as a treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysms in adult patients. The device has been approved in Europe since 2005, and has been used to successfully treat more than 2000 patients world-wide.

During an actual procedure, the RELAY Thoracic Stent-Graft is placed inside the diseased aorta without a major surgical incision and seals off the aneurysm allowing normal blood flow to resume. Because it was designed specifically for the thoracic anatomy, it allows surgeons to achieve placement in difficult, curved or otherwise challenging parts of a patient's unique anatomy.

"The design differences in the RELAY system work really well with certain anatomies," says Dr. Anthony Lee, Associate Professor or Vascular Surgery, University of Florida. "The device gives a high level of control to the physician, is very accurate in its deployment, and comes in a wide range of sizes, allowing for individual patient treatment."

Thoracic Stent-Grafts are an increasingly popular option to traditional open surgery for patients requiring treatment for main thoracic pathologies. The endovascular stent-graft procedure generally results in a reduced hospital stay and a lesser recovery time for patients. This can provide a considerable advantage in care given that the majority of patients who meet the criteria are seniors.

Bolton Medical is part of Werfen Group, an international group producing and selling products in the healthcare industry. Bolton Medical's focus is innovative thoracic endovascular therapies with a new generation of thoracic Stent-Graft called RELAY. RELAY was specifically designed for the thoracic aorta with key benefits in precise placement of the stent and durability through S -curved support strut. The outstanding flexibility of RELAY supports treatment of thoracic aortic pathologies.
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